Minor domestic help tortured, confined to bathroom for five days

Jayeda, a nine-year-old girl who works as a domestic help at the residence of a BDR official in Dianjpur, was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital by her uncle yesterday after she was tortured allegedly by the wife of the official. PHOTO: STAR

The wife of the BDR major also used to beat the 9-year-old domestic help Jayeda mercilessly for silly mistakes and for eating anything without their permission. Jayeda alleged that the major's wife used to grab her by the neck almost choking her. Her neck bears numerous marks.

The girl was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) last night with a swollen hand and back, and with marks of injuries all over her body. Her maternal uncle Saiful Islam brought her to the hospital after she had been handed over to him from the major's in-laws' house at Jhigatola in Dhanmondi in the capital yesterday afternoon.

"I don't know what my fault was. What I know is that my employer's wife often used to beat and choke me," Jayeda told The Daily Star last night.

On information, a team of Dhanmondi police went to the house of Sheikh Abdur Rahman, father-in-law of the major, last night to investigate the matter but found no one there.

"I went to the house to investigate the matter but found it locked," said Sub-Inspector Motiur Rahman who led the team.

Jayeda hailing from Chhagalnaiya in Feni said about two years ago her grandfather brought her to the major when he was posted at Khagrachhari. Later, the family moved to Dinajpur as the major was transferred there.

Jayeda's uncle Saiful Islam said the major made a phone call to Jayeda's father, a day labourer, on Monday and asked him to take her back home.

"I came to the Jhigatola house at noon today and found marks of inhuman torture on my niece's body," Saiful said yesterday. "The major told me that Jayeda got the injuries as she tripped over and fell," he said.